Draft Grades

[Gapanthersfan]

I think we came away from this draft with at least 3 players that would actually be starters on other  NFL teams. If so, that’s monumental for this franchise, historically speaking. 

There was no reaching. No projects.  No significant injury history. No small school small conference tweener. 

Analytics took a back seat to game tape. Big dog schools in big dog conferences. Dan clearly went for football players who showed up on film. It’s almost like he didn’t care how the combine went. 
 

Time will tell, but I give it an A. It was a team building, infuse the team with some actual NFL talent and attitude type draft. 

[PanthersATL]

Mina gives us a good draft review. ("I like their draft as a whole")

(segment starts at 15:42)

 

[shaqattaq]

1 hour ago, CPcavedweller said:

Bryce’s favorite target is a pure route runner who creates separation and we continue to take the opposite of that. 

Very solid point.

[PanthersATL]

1 hour ago, PanthersATL said:

Mina gives us a good draft review. ("I like their draft as a whole")

(segment starts at 15:42)

 

"The receiver group was bad last year. TMac on 3d down had 2nd most conversions in all of college football, zero drops. The Panthers didn't have a receiver in the top 45 in terms of conversions on third down. [Tmac] is reliable, and a gigantic target for Bryce. He's a home run"

[PanthersATL]

"Bryce was throwing absolute dimes on third down. They just weren't caught."

Gives a little more insight on what D&D's vision is on the Off rebuild

[tukafan21]

3 hours ago, CPcavedweller said:

McMillan can’t get open. Bryce’s favorite target is a pure route runner who creates separation and we continue to take the opposite of that. 
 

50/50 ball ability is great, but only when you combine it with the ability to run the rest of the route tree. Rule 1 for receivers is beating press coverage and McMillan cannot do that. 

Thielen is Bryce's favorite target, but not because he's the only one who creates separation, but because he's the only one he can actually rely on to catch the freaking ball when he throws it to him.

XL had terrible drops last year, Coker was still an UDFA and is raw and learning the game, our best TE was another raw rookie with potential but still not there yet, and our #1 going into the season decided a month in that he was going to become a huge head case and end up on like 18 different teams by the end of the year because of it.

So who else do you think he was going to throw the ball to?

All that's also ignoring the dumb statement that T-Mac can't get open, keep telling yourself that, because at least that way you'll just be THAT much happier when the season comes around and T-Mac is putting up video game like stats.

Edited yesterday at 05:21 PM by tukafan21

[PanthersATL]

The Athletic has us ranked 28th on their post-draft power rankings, mainly due to us picking T-Mc instead of defense in round 1.

They recognize we needed WR help, but...

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6317651/2025/04/29/nfl-power-rankings-post-draft-rookies-eagles-chiefs-bills/

[CRA]

23 hours ago, RumHam said:

This was my question if he was someone that could get open.

Well yall will be clamoring for another number 1 wide receiver next year for the 15th year in a row. 

Meanwhile we give up 45 points a game.

He sounds like taller Legette that may be able to catch, guess we won't know until September.

Also, everyone assumes this guy is now #1, the fug he is.

Theilen is the number 1.

AT cant' get open either.  He is just a savvy old guy eating on up all the slot reps.  The fact he seperate and run lower the entire ceiling of a Bryce Young O.  As does the fact we get below league average production out of the backfield in the pass game when we go to it. 

since the moment we drafted Bryce, I have banged the drum slot WR, rec RB, and TE would be the most important things we could do to build around Bryce.  We have done basically the polar opposite.  It's why I call the Tepper era random parts. 

[jfra78]

1 hour ago, PanthersATL said:

The Athletic has us ranked 28th on their post-draft power rankings, mainly due to us picking T-Mc instead of defense in round 1.

They recognize we needed WR help, but...

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6317651/2025/04/29/nfl-power-rankings-post-draft-rookies-eagles-chiefs-bills/

The Score has us at 23, nfl.com 24, BR 28, fansided 25, USA Today 25.  I think 25 is about right at this point

[PanthersATL]

2 hours ago, jfra78 said:

The Score has us at 23, nfl.com 24, BR 28, fansided 25, USA Today 25.  I think 25 is about right at this point

looking forward to us getting at least above 16 again. We've been there before, we'll be there again

[PanthersATL]

NFL analysts confirm Panthers GM Dan Morgan committed draft larceny

Dan Morgan had a decent collection of picks during the 2025 NFL Draft. That doesn’t always guarantee success, but the Carolina Panthers general manager emerged from his second selection process with significant credit.

Morgan played his draft board masterfully. He struck with conviction when opportunities arose, and brought high-character individuals into the organization who should fit seamlessly into head coach Dave Canales’ culture shift. Each draft pick and undrafted free agent must prove themselves in an NFL setting, but fans were thrilled with the haul.

(As seen on Bluesky, but those embeds aren't working here yet    _
https://bsky.app/profile/rawnfl.bsky.social/post/3lnxnosfzju2d

source: https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/10067/

 

 

[The Lobo]

On 4/27/2025 at 5:19 AM, Wolfman83 said:

Mel Kiper gave a C. Can't believe ESPN thinks he's a draft savant.

Dude still needs to retire after his Clausen comment 

[rebelrouser]

We keep having to utilize high draft picks to make up for mistakes.  WR #8 McMillian to cover mistakes Mingo and XL; RB #111 Trevor Etienne to make up for mistake Jonathan Brooks. 

[tukafan21]

16 minutes ago, rebelrouser said:

We keep having to utilize high draft picks to make up for mistakes.  WR #8 McMillian to cover mistakes Mingo and XL; RB #111 Trevor Etienne to make up for mistake Jonathan Brooks. 

I'll give you the Etienne pick to make up for Brooks, but I think you're looking at the T-Mac/XL picks wrong.

Taking T-Mac wasn't "covering" the mistake of the other picks, it was "fixing" the XL pick.

We took XL there because we expected him to be our new #1, but it just seems clear after his rookie year that he's never going to be THAT type of guy, even if he improves significantly.  But he does seem like he has that high end #2 potential, and that's where the T-Mac pick makes it "fixing" the pick and not "covering" for a bad one.

The T-Mac pick pushes all the other WR's down a peg in the pecking order, and in turn, that makes them all that much better as they'll now be going up against a DB one more peg down on their own pecking order.

XL and Coker don't have have a 1/2 pairing potential, but they both could be at the very upper end of the 2's and 3's out there, it totally changes the equation for who they are for us.

Edited 34 minutes ago by tukafan21